Flame
by Yondaime Namikaze
Summary: Hiccup is unsuccessful at training the Monstrous Nightmare in The Kill Ring in front of the entire spectating village of Berk. Banished from his homeland by his own father, Hiccup sets out with Toothless on a quest to find a new place. On his journey, he saves a young woman, Heather, who gives him just what he's been looking for his whole life: a loving and welcoming home village.
1. Never Be The Same Again

**I'm just going to say it now. It's been a long time since I've written a story based on a requested idea. However, this idea was too good to pass this. This idea was submitted by a guest reviewer who enjoys reading my stories. For that, this story is dedicated to you, my friend! I hope that you (and everyone else too!) enjoy(s)!**

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><p><span>Chapter 1: Never Be The Same Again<span>

"That is what I saw Chief! Hiccup was there and he was talking to a dragon! It was clearly obvious that this has been going on for quite some time," Astrid continued to explain to the Chief of Berk, Hiccup's father. As she spoke, a crowd of Berk villagers had also gathered around to listen. Murmurs rose from the crowd, but Astrid continued, "When he noticed me there, Hiccup tried to convince me not to hurt the dragon. He said it wouldn't hurt me. Chief, this is absurd! I knew that something was going on with Hiccup during training, but this…"

All eyes, including the Chief's, turned to look at the boy who had arrived as quickly as he could. Stoick broke from the crowd and walked slowly over to his son. Hiccup flinched a little at the close contact; he was not used to being so near to his father. "Thank you, Astrid. You may go. Everyone, in fact, may go. I wish to speak to Hiccup. Alone."

Hiccup shivered, knowing what would be coming next—the questions and the lectures. He did not miss Astrid's knowing smirk as she walked away. She had been so desperate to win and now she had for this would surely be the end of Hiccup's time as a member of the Hooligan tribe of Berk. Hiccup knew that his father would slowly extricate the truth from him. There was no way that Hiccup could resist his father; the man was way too intimidating.

When all were gone, Stoick rounded again on Hiccup. "Is this true, Hiccup? All this of which Astrid has just spoken? About you and a dragon?"

Hiccup's nervousness flowed through his body and he was fortunate that the shaking was not noticeable to his father. "Well…uh, Dad…I…" he started, certain that his stuttering would be a dead giveaway as to his answer.

"You know what? I don't want to know the answer now. Show me your answer tomorrow in The Kill Ring."

Before Hiccup could even comprehend how easily he had been left off the hook, Stoick was gone, returning to the village. Knowing that his father would be out and about in the village for a while, Hiccup ran home and straight up the stairs to his bedroom.

Pacing his room, Hiccup contemplated the words his father had just spoken to him. "'Show me your answer tomorrow in The Kill Ring.' How am I supposed to do that? Okay…stupid question…I know how to do that, but…I don't want to kill that dragon. But, if I don't kill it, they'll all know that Astrid was telling the truth about me and Toothless."

Knowing that there was no way that he could possibly kill the dragon, Hiccup's thoughts set him off in another direction. "What if I could…train it? In front of the entire village? If I could successfully train that Monstrous Nightmare, would that be enough proof to change the stubborn minds of everyone here on Berk?"

Hiccup realized that he had just spent the last couple minutes talking out-loud to himself, but he was frustrated. Regardless, it did little to ease his troubled mind.

"What if it doesn't work, though?" he asked himself again, thinking about his potential new plan to train the Monstrous Nightmare instead of killing it. "I mean…what's the worst my dad could do? Banish me? Would that be such a bad thing?" Hiccup wondered. "Isn't like the village cares about me at all anyway." Breathing in deeply, Hiccup made his final decision. "That's what I'll do. I'll train that Nightmare. I'll show them all."

Confident in his plan, Hiccup decided next that he would face the chilly early-night air to grab some dinner over at the Great Hall. Hiccup hated eating dinner at the Great Hall. He had always sat alone and it used to tug at his heart to see the happy families and friends eating together. Though Hiccup knew that he shouldn't have let it get to him, it still did.

Things had changed since Hiccup's improvements in dragon training. Now, everyone seemed eager to invite him to their table. Hiccup was always hesitant to accept and would usually just end up sitting alone as he was so accustomed to doing already. It just didn't feel right for them to change their opinions of him simply because of his dragon training methods (which they still didn't fully understand anyway).

Unfortunately, because his father would not be home until late, Hiccup knew that he would have to eat dinner at the Great Hall. He tried to walk slow, hoping that the time and cold biting air would change his mind, but it did not work. The Great Hall was situated right next to his house, so Hiccup had little time to think before he arrived at the building. Inside, the atmosphere was warm and inviting, but the happy chattering of Vikings and the shouts from the mead drinking contests did little to please Hiccup.

Hiccup had tried to enter the building quietly so as not to stir up the gathered Vikings; he just wanted to eat alone so that he could continue forming his plan to train the Monstrous Nightmare tomorrow in the Kill Ring. Unfortunately, the Gods again decided to prove their hatred for Hiccup as one of the Vikings noticed his approach and loudly ran over to strike up a conversation with him. Hearing the commotion created the usual chain reaction and soon Hiccup was crowded by large, inquisitive Vikings.

Being smaller than average had its advantages; Hiccup had learned that lesson years ago. Ducking down, he found an opening and slipped through, leaving the Vikings to wonder where he had gone. Before they could find him, Hiccup grabbed a plate of food and choked it down quickly. The other Vikings were unsuccessful in locating Hiccup before he slipped out of the Hall and ran back to his house.

"Well, that was a disaster," Hiccup muttered to himself as he shut the door of his house. Looking around, Hiccup noticed that his father was still not home. _**Not that it matters**_, Hiccup thought, _**I'm just going to go sleep anyway. **_Hiccup had decided that he would sleep early tonight because he needed to be completed alert and concentrated tomorrow in The Kill Ring.

When Hiccup crawled under his wool blanket that night, he knew not what the next day would bring. All her knew was that his life, life on Berk, would never be the same again.

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><p><strong>This story will be a little different than what I usually write, but that's the fun thing about honoring requests. I've got a few other story requests in the works for some time later.<strong>

**Hope you all enjoyed this first chapter! See you all next time!**

**Thanks for reading and supporting Flame!**

**Posted: November 15, 2014**


	2. The Fated Day (Part 1)

**I know…I introduced the story and disappeared again. I haven't given up, I assure you! In fact, I planned out the story…to an extent. Enough that I can keep writing without writer's block or need for a hiatus. Good news, yeah?**

**Review Replies:**

_**Angryhenry**_**: Yep. Yay!**

_**Guest (anonymous)**_**: Well, it wasn't soon, but…I tried.**

_**Guest (anonymous)**_**: Well, I've got some ideas…mainly from the "challenge" but…yeah…we'll see where that gets the story first.**

_**That One Guy Over There**_**: Thanks. Strangely enough, I never thought of this scenario until I was given the "challenge". **

_**Guest (anonymous)**_**: I'm updating it now.**

_**fanfictionmakermachine**_**: It's real. Merry Christmas. I never plan to discontinue stories. I will say that. If I do, it's because it just happens. This one should not go that route because I have some plans already typed up and plotted for it.**

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><p><span>Chapter 2: The Fated Day (Part 1)<span>

"Wake up, Son! Your breakfast is on the table!"

Hiccup awoke the next morning to his father's booming voice as it climbed the stairs to the loft bedroom where the boy slept. At first, Hiccup blinked and stared up at the wooden ceiling high above him. _**Strange. Dad never makes me breakfast. In fact, he usually just leaves. Why is today any…?**_

Memories flooded back as the hazy veil of sleep continued to disappear. _**Oh, that's right… Today's **__**that**__** day.**_ Hiccup was not looking forward to today's big event. He had not been able to think of a suitable plan to use in The Kill Ring. _**Guess that I'll just have to train the Nightmare. Hopefully, that will be enough to convince everyone else that the dragons aren't the monsters we think they are. **_

Reluctantly leaving the bed, Hiccup dragged himself downstairs and to the table where a plate sat waiting for him. Sitting down, Hiccup tried to eat but found that he could not. Instead, he pushed the food around and pretended to eat.

His father noticed. "Nervous for today, aren't you, Son?"

Inside, Hiccup felt like screaming. He was frustrated and did not want to be forced into that arena later. Outside, though, he just nodded. It was easier to just convince Stoick that he was nervous than to try to explain his true feelings.

Stoick gave a short laugh. "You'll be fine, Hiccup. Gothi chose you specifically because she was certain that you could succeed. You will make everyone proud today."

_**I don't want to make anyone proud!**_ Hiccup screamed inside his head. _**I wish you and everyone else could just…understand**_. "I'm sorry, Dad," Hiccup spoke up instead. "I'm just not hungry," he finished.

Stoick shrugged. "Okay then. Well, I have to get down to the arena. Make sure you are there early."

Without another word and not waiting for a reply from his son, Berk's Chief left the house and Hiccup was alone again. Knowing that there would be no getting out of today's show, Hiccup sat at the table and continued to push his breakfast around on his plate. He had hoped that the motion would calm his nerves, but, of course, no such luck.

When Hiccup left the house, he was, at first, surprised that he was not immediately mobbed by excited villagers. Then, he remembered that they all were at the arena. Every year, the villagers would arrive early in hopes that they could snag the best area from which to view the show.

On his way to the arena, Hiccup did pass Astrid. She said nothing, only giving him a sharp glare before racing ahead. Clearly she was still upset that it was he, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, (and not her) who would be fighting the dragon today. Hiccup almost wished that it was her who had been hand-chosen by the Elder. Astrid would've been ruthless to the captive Monstrous Nightmare but she would've put on a good show for the gathered villagers. Not to mention that he could have pretended to go to the arena and then just sneak off to the cove to be with Toothless.

No, that never would've happened. If Astrid had been chosen, he probably would've snuck into the arena under the cover of night and freed the Nightmare from its prison and gruesome fate. Not like any of that mattered now. He was the one who had been chosen to kill the Nightmare and he had to at least act as if he was going to go through with it.

In his hands, Hiccup clenched the helmet his father had given him the night before he and Astrid had vied for the coveted victor's role of slaying the Monstrous Nightmare. Hiccup waited in the tunnel entrance to the arena floor. As he waited, he listened to his father's opening speech. The boy's heart tugged a little as his father spoke about how proud he was that Hiccup had been chosen to slay the Monstrous Nightmare.

"Today, my boy becomes a Viking. Today, he becomes ONE OF US!"

Before Hiccup had much time to think over these words, Gobber appeared from the arena floor. "It's time, Hiccup. Knock 'em dead."

Hiccup gulped and walked into the arena, placing the helmet onto his head as the gate came thundering down behind him. Slowly, he walked over to the arrangement of weapons displayed for all to see. He knew that he would have to take one. If he didn't take a weapon, the villagers would suspect something and Hiccup wanted to make sure the moment was right before he set his plan into motion.

On the rack of weapons sat a small dagger much like the one he had thrown into the lake in the cove at Toothless's silent request. Hiccup didn't plan to use the weapon anyway, so, without thinking about it, he just picked up the small dagger and took a deep breath, steadying himself. "I'm ready."

Up ahead of Hiccup, the lever on the Monstrous Nightmare's cage lifted slowly. _**I don't know if I actually am ready for this. Oh, Gods, take pity on me this time! Please!**_ Before Hiccup had time for any other thoughts, the dragon burst forward, out of the cage, in a display of fire and flames.

In its rage, the dragon raced through the arena, shooting flames toward the spectating Vikings. Climbing the chains that covered the top of the arena, the dragon looked down and finally noticed Hiccup. The Vikings looking on from above grew silent, anticipating the epic battle that was beginning to play out.

The Monstrous Nightmare dropped to the ground and walked toward Hiccup. Each step the Nightmare took toward Hiccup, the young Viking took one back away from the dragon in return. _**Well, I guess it's now or never, then.**_ As Hiccup stepped backwards, he slowly dropped the dagger and shield and brought his hands in front of him, showing the dragon that he was weaponless and meant no harm. _**I really hope this works…**_

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><p><strong>I know…nothing happened in this chapter. Within the next two chapters or so, the plot will become to deviate and the real story will begin. Don't give up yet! I plan to see this through!<strong>

**Thanks for reading and supporting Flame!**

**Posted: January 10, 2015**


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